Creating Shoes, Socially

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I was fourteen and gotten done with my first real season of cross country and was looking anxiously forward to track season.  All I wanted was a pair of Nike Frees and not just any pair but ones where I got to choose the colors via NIKEiD. I still remember the hours I spent online trying to find the perfect color combination. My parents were not too happy with me keeping our phone line busy; it was in the days of dial up and AOL.  Finally, Christmas came along and I was able to order my custom Nike Frees and they were waiting for me under the tree. I wore that pair of shoes through the track season and beyond.

You could say I was instantly drawn to the new NIKEiD application on Facebook, especially being a social media addict. If you are not familiar with NIKEiD, it is thecustomization experience for footwear, athletic apparel, and equipment produced by Nike. It has grown leaps and bounds since I first used it 10 years ago. NIKEiD has added many more options from color, materials, performance, all the way to licensed team apparel personalization. The Facebook application is not missing any of this for the Nike Frees. Besides being able to choose from all the bright colors that Nike has to offer, you can now mix and match different parts from Nike Free 5s and the Nike Free 3s.  Nike Frees merge the natural, healthy motion of a bare foot with the protection of traditional footwear. Nike Free 5s have a bit more structure while the Nike Free 3s do not.

I jumped right in to creating a pair ,trying to decide the right color combination (should I use “soar” or “volt”) and the right combination of the Nike Frees. After changing back and forth between colors, I realized you can save different versions then compare when going to the “my design” gallery. You can also view the “most recent” designs, the “most liked” designs, “your friends” designs and designs by country. After much deliberation, I decided on my favorite. Even if you can’t decide, you can see which design gets the most likes from your friends. It was easy process from there, the Facebook app transfers you over to NIKEiD and you can order.

NIKEiD has improved and changed for the better in the last 10 years. It has also kept what was so fun about the process; the chance to create your own shoes. Much like I did years ago, I am sure I will wear these pair of Frees until they are worn out.

NIKEiD is the ultimate customization experience and allows our consumers to take their unique inspiration and express it within our Nike product, which results in a perfect intersection: personalized looks on the best performance athletic performance gear in the world.

Disclosure: The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Nike.

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